The downfall of box office king Nguyen Quang Dung
"Falling in Love with My Best Friend" can be considered a setback for director Nguyen Quang Dung, as the film only grossed over 21 billion VND and was far surpassed by Tran Thanh and Thu Trang.
After more than a month since its release, on March 1st,Falling in love with the wrong best friend.It left theaters with a very modest revenue of 21.5 billion VND. This is the lowest-grossing film of the 2025 Lunar New Year film season.
The film by directors Nguyen Quang Dung and Diep The Vinh has been left far behind by its two competitors. To date,The Four Revengeful OnesTran Thanh's earnings have reached over 332 billion VND.Billion-dollar kissThu Trang's films have grossed approximately 210 billion VND. Even more noteworthy is that both of these films still have screenings planned.
With a figure of 21.5 billion VND, the manufacturerFalling in love with the wrong best friend.It is likely to suffer heavy losses because the film has a large budget and its setting spans many locations across the country.
The failure ofFalling in love with the wrong best friend.Perhaps the biggest surprise of the past film season was the cast of artists considered to be A-list celebrities in Vietnamese showbiz today.
First up is director Nguyen Quang Dung. He's often referred to as the "million-dollar director." There was a period when he truly dominated the Vietnamese box office with works like:The Kiss of Death, Saving Death, Brilliant Kisses, The Beauty Trap...Even in 2013, Nguyen Quang Dung owned 3 out of 6 of the highest-grossing Vietnamese films of all time.
Nguyen Quang Dung's co-star in the film.Falling in love with the wrong best friend.Diep The Vinh is a renowned DOP (director of photography) who has participated in the production of blockbuster films such as:Tomorrow(2024)Godfather(2021)Blood Moon Party(2020).
The film also features Katy Nguyen, who is considered a "billion-dollar beauty" with many roles in box office hits in Vietnam recently.
Tran Thanh - one of the investors ofFalling in love with the wrong best friend.He previously shared that the film crew, comprised of faces that can be considered box office guarantees like those mentioned above, was the biggest reason he invested in it. Tran Thanh himself also worked hard to promote it.Falling in love with the wrong person, my best friend.
On the other hand,Falling in love with the wrong best friend.It is also considered a film within Nguyen Quang Dung's forte. The work is a remake of the film.Friend Zonefrom Thailand. Previously, this director was known as the "king of remake films". He has made films such asI am your grandmother.(remade from the movie)Miss Grannyof South Korea),Glorious May(remade from the original film)Soonof South Korea (revenue of 85 billion won),Blood Moon Party(rewrite from)Perfect Strangersof Italy - earned 175 billion VND).
Nguyen Quang Dung's downfall withFalling in love with the wrong best friend.Perhaps the biggest surprise in the Vietnamese film market recently.
In response to reporters, expert Nguyen Phong Viet pointed out the reason:"The original version of this film wasn't actually outstanding; its charm and appeal stem from the charisma of the two Thai lead actors."
When it came to "Falling in Love with My Best Friend," the story became too safe. Kaity and Tran Ngoc Vang's performances weren't bad, but they weren't outstanding enough to save a script lacking any real impact.
"Falling in Love with My Best Friend failed because it was bland, the plot was monotonous, and it lacked highlights that resonated with the audience, leaving them with no lasting emotional connection after leaving the theater."
According to Mr. Nguyen Phong Viet, the downfall ofFalling in love with the wrong best friend.This is a sign that the filmmaking style that director Nguyen Quang Dung is pursuing is slowing down and no longer as appealing to audiences.
"Currently, many young directors are achieving box office revenues of hundreds of billions of dong with films such as: 'The Devil's Dog,' 'Ghost's Skin,' 'The Lamp of the Underworld,' 'The Ancestral House,' etc. This shows that we have a new generation of directors who are very proactive and enthusiastic. In the next 5 years, they will make the Vietnamese film market very vibrant. As for directors of the previous generation like Nguyen Quang Dung and many others, if they don't change, they will inevitably be left behind by this market," he said.Mr. Nguyen Phong Viet said.
